Jaromír Funke and Czech Photography, 1920–39 AntonÍn Dufek The Thomas Walther Collection at The Museum of Modern successor; but although he completed his law studies in Art, New York, contains some of the most important photo- 1922, Funke did not take the final exam. Since his early youth, graphs of Jaromír Funke (1896–1945). The work of this his main interest was art. In search of his own creativity, Czech photographer cannot properly be understood with- he befriended two Kolín modern painters, Rudolf Mazuch out some knowledge of the influences on him. At the most and Zdenek Rykr, but came to the conclusion that he had general level, Funke, like the majority of his contemporaries, no talent for painting or sculpture. Instead, Funke began to was motivated by the fact that the First World War had devote himself to photography intensively in 1920, and Rykr resulted in, among other things, the breakup of the Austro- opened his mind to Cubism and contemporary art. Hungarian Empire into successor states, one of which was Funke had a great deal to learn (and he was helped in the multinational Czechoslovakia. In addition to Bohemia, this by Sudek, who used to travel to Kolín to visit his mother). Moravia, Slovakia, and part of Silesia, the new state also In 1920, photography was dominated by Art Nouveau and included Subcarpathian Ruthenia. (After the Second World Impressionism, and the “noble” pigment processes were still War, Subcarpathian Ruthenia was ceded to the Soviet Union; being used to make photographs resembling the prints of in 1993, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech and Slovak Republics.) The creation of Czechoslovakia was a powerful impulse for creative people living within it, including photog- raphers. They wanted to make their country famous, and they had the best terms and conditions in which to do it. The Czech institutions of the former empire survived in Czechoslovakia and were joined by new ones. The clubs of amateur photographers came together as the Association of Czech Amateur Photography Clubs (Svaz českých klubů fotografů amatérů) in 1919. A year later, the Association of German Amateur Photography Clubs in the Czechoslovak Republic (Verband deutscher Lichtbildnervereine in der Tschechoslowakischen Republik) was established. At the State School of Graphic Arts in Prague, also established in 1919, a specialized photography course was first offered in 1921. It was run by Karel Novák, a native of south Bohemia, who moved to Prague from a similar teaching post at the Graphische Lehr- und Vesuchsanstalt in Vienna.1 (One of his first pupils, in 1922–24, was Josef Sudek, who would go on to become a well-known photographer and friend of Funke’s.) Photographers longing for better instruction no longer had to go to Vienna or Munich. The number of Czechoslovak photographic periodicals also multiplied, providing platforms for practical training, the exchange of ideas, and examples in the form of high-quality plates. Foreign magazines and books also became available in the libraries of amateur photography clubs. Together with well-equipped darkrooms and, often, portrait studios, clubs were very important for amateurs. The amenities and comradery were well worth the monthly membership contributions Funke grew up in Kolín, an industrial town on the river Elbe, not far from Prague. An only child of a successful local fig. 1 Drahomír Josef Růžička. Pennsylvania Station. c. 1918. Gelatin silver print, 13 ½ × lawyer, he had all the prerequisites to become his father’s 10 ⅝ (34.5 × 27 cm). Moravian Gallery, Brno Dufek 1 graphic artists. Two main areas of interest are perceptible processes and any manipulation of a negative or positive, in Funke’s early work: the creation of photographic images but accepted the soft-focus lens. For this “new school,” suitable for exhibition, and the development of his own practically the only source of pictorial effect was lighting. In concepts of art photography. In 1923, his carbon prints were December 1921, the first of a series of exhibitions of Růžička’s accepted for an amateur photographers’ exhibition. (Later, works took place in the Czech Amateur Photographers’ Club he would exhibit only gelatin silver prints.) They were land- (established in 1889) in Prague. Růžička had also brought scapes, similar in style to the gum prints of Edward Steichen, periodicals to Czechoslovakia, including Camera Work, and Hugo Henneberg, and other trend-setting photographers a collection of original prints by his American colleagues, of this founding period of art photography. including Margrethe Mather, Doris Ulmann, Edward In these years, Funke documented the town of Kolín Weston, and White (exhibited in Prague 1923–24). The with a handheld camera in a completely different way than enlargements on photographic paper, previously unknown what was being exhibited at the time. He was “charting out” in Czechoslovakia, and subject matter drawn partly from the town and its inhabitants and everyday goings-on. the outskirts of large cities, set a new standard. Thanks to A number of the photographs are snapshots, which was Růžička, a late branch of American Pictorialism emerged in highly unusual, if not unprecedented, in early 1920s Czech Czechoslovakia, and the word “Pictorialism” also entered photography. He took photos of the work being done on the the Czech milieu. In amateur circles, Pictorialism was identi- banks of the Elbe, construction of the bridge over it, and fied with modern photography until the end of the 1920s. By areas along the river or near it. Funke was experimenting its purism and more modern subject matter, Czechoslovak with his medium for documentary purposes, which would photography began to distinguish itself from photography have a lasting influence: in all of his subsequent photo- in neighboring countries. graphic work and criticism he emphasized truthfulness as The Czech Amateur Photographers’ Club went through photography’s key value. At the time, there was nowhere a stormy period after the First World War. The old officials to exhibit such “non-artistic” photographs, and consequently of the club had to face the rise of a new generation of they ended up as contact prints pasted in albums. Around young photographers (with more than 150 new members 1925, when Funke began to enter his works in photographic in 1919–20), for whom the existing orientation of the club salons, he enlarged at least three cropped photos from was insufficiently artistic. The first storm was linked with his early work. In his first retrospective exhibition, held at elections to the club leadership in January 1920. A new the Krásná jizba (Beautiful room) in Prague, in 1935, he may president was elected, and several dissatisfied members, have placed one of them — the photograph of the Masaryk headed by Adolf Schneeberger, now sat on its committee. Bridge in Kolín under construction — at the beginning of They wanted to devote themselves intensively to art and to his avant-garde works, under the title Simplified Space raise the standards of club activity. The club exhibition of the (1922).2 Many other Funke photographs, which have been following year reflected the new circumstances: almost all preserved only as contact prints, are among the pictorially of the exhibited photographs were the work of young pho- most impressive and important works made at the time in tographers. Newcomers Jaroslav Fabinger, Jaroslav Krupka, Czechoslovakia, and in Europe. They are, for example, among Schneeberger, and Josef Sudek won prizes. In 1922, tension the early expressions of an interest in the outskirts of towns in the club again came to a peak. For various reasons, Jan and in subject matter related to civilization and human labor. Evangelista Purkyně, Jan Diviš, Schneeberger, and Sudek The dichotomy in Funke’s work — between the socially were gradually expelled. (Funke was a member of the Kolín engaged and the more introspective or individually focused — club.) In protest, a few dozen other members also left the entered a new stage in 1923. Funke adopted the new “purist” club, and immediately, with Funke’s participation, founded style of amateur photography and also established the con- the Prague Photo Club (Fotoklub Praha). Purkyně became its tinuous line of his avant-garde work. In addition, he began to president and Schneeberger its secretary. The new club was write photography criticism and, in 1925, to publish articles. dominated by proponents of Růžička’s purism. It attracted Though the avant-garde overlooked him, he was one of the attention with robust participation in the first exhibition of most influential figures among the amateurs. the Association of Czech Amateur Photography Clubs in Prague in late 1923 and early 1924, which demonstrated the Jaromír Funke and Amateur Photography in the 1920s predominance of the new school. Among the exhibited photo- Amateur photography in Czechoslovakia received a strong graphs were collections of American photographs and burst of inspiration in 1921. Drahomír Josef Růžička, a works by Růžička. recognized amateur photographer who had just given up In addition to exhibitions, the club activities of those his medical practice in New York, traveled to his native times included circulating portfolios (okružní mapy), albums Bohemia, then in the new republic of Czechoslovakia.3 A of photographs by club members. The clubs sent albums to “pupil and friend” (as he used to say) of American photog- each other based on an established order and judged each rapher Clarence H. White and a member of the Pictorial other’s work and assigned points, competing for the most Photographers of America, Růžička rejected pigment number of points. When the Prague Photo Club gave its Dufek 2 opinion on the circulating portfolio of a club outside Prague, Funke formulated a harsh critique, which was also signed by Schneeberger, Sudek, and Josef Šroubek. The criticism aroused indignation and its signatories were expelled in 1924; they soon learned that no other club would accept them as members.